Confederation of School Trust Chief Executive Leora Cruddas CBE said: "We welcome the £2.3bn increase to the schools budget, including £1bn for special educational needs and alternative provision. Day to day finance is a key concern for school trust leaders, with less than half feeling confident about their financial sustainability when surveyed this summer. We renew our calls for reform to the national funding formula so that it more properly reflect the actual costs of running schools.
"On special educational needs, many local authorities are carrying significant deficits in this area and we need to ensure the money goes to help children directly. Our whole approach to SEN needs significant reform, in addition to fair funding.
"Children who are hungry and anxious can hardly be expected to focus on learning and school trusts have led the way in establishing breakfast club and wider support for families. Extending this will need changes to buildings and new ways of working, and we stand ready to help the Government work on these important measures to help tackle the impacts of child poverty.
"Today's 19% increase in the Department for Education's capital budget - including an additional £300m for school maintenance, around £15,000 per school - is a small step towards addressing the long-term backlog in repairs after years of falling investment in school buildings, but leaves much more to be done."
Photo: HM Treasury Flickr / Lauren Hurley / DESNZ
